


Heroes

by atoxicrose



Series: Anthem [6]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Bad Pick-Up Lines, Barebacking, Body Horror, Creampie, Dirty Talk, Established Relationship, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Hurt/Comfort, I wrote this for me but you can read it too, Implied Sexual Content, Light Angst, Morning After, Morning Sex, Non-Explicit Sex, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pre-Relationship, Semi-Public Sex, Size Difference, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2019-05-30
Packaged: 2020-03-30 20:15:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19034869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atoxicrose/pseuds/atoxicrose
Summary: The world could always use more heroes.





	1. BAMF

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Re-post.
> 
>  **Original Note:**
> 
> Posted for day one of Tumblr’s Overwatch OC x Canon Week. The prompt is Firsts: Theme A – First Meeting.
> 
> A little bit of context for the dates here: Ellie exists in an AU where Overwatch exists in the same universe as Darksiders. Humanity was totally annihilated and then restored by the four Horseman of the Apocalypse – and a very determined human (Ellie). After the restoration, years are counted with the resurrection of humanity as the starting point.

_Overwatch headquarters, Zurich, Switzerland_  
_Year 658 of the New Age_

Ellie leans against the window in the observation room of the base’s shooting range. There’s only one person on the range, a lanky kid wearing a cowboy hat. He knows he’s got an audience and he’s showboating. His shooting is damn impressive, Ellie has to give him that. She snags a pair of earmuffs from the hook by the door and limps out onto the range.

As Ellie approaches the kid he holsters his pistol, tugs his earplugs out and turns to her, tipping his hat. He’s wearing cowboy boots and spurs, she notes, and an enormous belt buckle that reads BAMF – bad ass mother fucker.

“That’s some pretty fancy shooting there, cowboy,” Ellie says.

The kid grins. “Thank ya kindly.” Oh, his voice. Ellie was expecting a Texan twang, but instead it’s a southern drawl. “Wanna see what else I can do with my ‘gun?’”

Ellie just laughs. “Well, you may be a crack shot, kid, but your pickup lines need some work.”

The kid’s grin widens. “The name’s McCree.”

“Ellie Wade.”

“I ain’t seen you round here before.”

“I’m here on… let’s call it official business.”

“You with the UN, then?”

“Not exactly.”

McCree winks. “Ah, gotcha.”

Ellie rather doubts that. “How old are you, McCree?”

“Nineteen.”

“Reyes recruits teenagers?”

“Not usually. I was an exception.”

“With aim like that, I can see why.”

“You shoot?”

“I do. But I’m generally more of a CQC kind of girl.”

“Really now?” McCree looks Ellie over a bit skeptically. She barely reaches his shoulder.

“You want a demonstration, McCree?” Ellie’s tone is playful but her eyes flash.

“I think I’m all right, thanks.”

“You sure?”

“Pretty sure, yeah. ‘Sides, I don’t think you oughta be doin’ much fightin’ with that on yer leg.” McCree nods at Ellie’s knee brace.

Ellie shrugs and grins. “I could still kick your ass though.”

“I believe ya. What’d ya do to it?”

“I tore a tendon.” McCree winces in sympathy. “I’m still gimpy, but it’s pretty much healed now.”

“Hey! No one’s allowed on the rage without ear protection!”

Ellie and McCree look around to see Reyes standing in the door of the range.

Ellie holds up the earmuffs. “I saw the sign, commander, I got them.”

Reyes just scowls. Behind him stands Death, arms crossed across his chest, scowling behind his mask too, Ellie’s sure.

“I should probably go,” she says. “It was a pleasure to meet you, McCree.”

McCree tips his hat. “The pleasure was all mine, darlin’.”

* * *

 

_Watchpoint: Gibraltar, Spain_  
_Year 676 of the New Age_

Ellie returns to the watchpoint with Morrison in tow. The reappearance of the dead strike commander rocks the base to its foundations, but Ellie figures it doesn’t have much to do with her and leaves the old commander and Overwatch’s new coordinator to sort things out.

The watchpoint is much busier than it had been when Ellie left a few weeks before, quite a few agents responded to the recall. Among them is an honest-to-god cowboy, chaps and all.

There’s something familiar about him and it nags Ellie for days. She never manages to actually meet the man, but she frequently passes him the in hallways. He’s friendly, and tips his hat and winks as they pass. It isn’t until she notices his BAMF belt buckle that it clicks. It’s McCree, the kid she’d met at the shooting range of Overwatch’s Swiss headquarters nearly twenty years before.

It’s nearly a week after her return when Ellie finally gets the chance to talk to him. She’s eating dinner with Tracer in the dining hall when McCree approaches their table.

“This seat taken?”

Ellie shakes her head. “No, go ahead.”

Tracer looks up as he sits down. “Oh, have you two been introduced? Jesse, this is Ellie Wade, Ellie, that’s Jesse McCree.”

“You, uh, probably don’t remember, but we’ve met,” McCree says.

“I do, actually. You’re the crack shot with the awful pickup lines I met in Switzerland about twenty years ago.”

McCree grins. “Ya remember me! I’m flattered.”

“To tell you the truth, I wouldn’t have recognized you if it weren’t for that belt buckle. You grew up pretty, cowboy, it’s hard to believe that you and that scrawny teenager are the same person.”

McCree flushes and clears his throat. “Well, uh, that’s – ”

Ellie laughs and McCree breaks off with an awkward half-grin, reaching up to push the brim of his hat down to hide his blush.

“So, have your pick-up lines gotten any better?”

McCree grins and leans forward on the table. “Are you from Tennessee? Cause you’re the only ten I see,” his voice drops a little bit, and Ellie has to admit that it makes her stomach flutter pleasantly.

Ellie chuckles and rests her chin on her hand. “Well, your delivery is better at least.”

“Guess I’m just gunna hafta practice.”

“Why do I have the feeling that you’ll be practicing on me?”

“Well, ya seem interested, darlin’,” McCree says with a wink.

Ellie leans back in her chair. “All right then, cowboy, let’s see what you got.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Original Note:**
> 
> And then they proceed to spend the next eighteen months dancing around each other and drive the whole base crazy.


	2. Selfish Prayers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse has been teasing her since they started dating, kissing Ellie breathless and then leaving her wanting. She finally takes matters into her own hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Re-Post.
> 
> **Original Note:**
> 
> Written for day one of Tumblr’s Overwatch OC x Canon Week 2017. The prompt is Firsts: Theme B – First date/kiss/etc. This is the first time they had sex.
> 
> Inspired by [this](http://overwatchheadcanonsandstuff.tumblr.com/post/147730162200/how-many-minutes-in-heaven) by [overwatchheadcanonsandstuff](http://overwatchheadcanonsandstuff.tumblr.com) on tumblr and [these headcanons](http://kawaiis-writings.tumblr.com/post/147006165646/lets-be-sinful-first-time-sex-with-the-guys) by [kawaiis-writings](http://kawaiis-writings.tumblr.com/) on tumblr.

Jesse has been teasing her since they started dating, kissing Ellie breathless and then leaving her wanting. She finally takes matters into her own hands after another handsy makeout session in an empty stairwell that once again leads nowhere. Ellie drags Jesse by the front of his shirt into a nearby custodian’s closet and just about climbs him.

Now Ellie’s shorts and panties pool around her ankles as she rides the fingers knuckle deep in her cunt. Her forehead is pressed against Jesse’s shoulder, slightly muffling her moans as his fingers curl inside her. Jesse’s got his mouth on her neck, his beard scratches as he murmurs filth against her skin.

“You sound so good babydoll, ya make the prettiest noises.”

 Jesse adds a third finger and Ellie whines and rocks up onto the balls of her feet to give him a better angle.

“That’s it,” Jesse breathes. “Gorgeous.” His thumb finds her clit and Ellie presses her face harder into his shoulder as her hands fist the sides of his shirt.

“So – _hah_ – good.  Fuck, Jesse!”

Jesse’s thumb speeds up as it circles her clit, and his fingers curl hard directly into her g-spot, pushing her over the edge.

Ellie moans into his shoulder as she comes, clamping down around Jesse’s fingers. He continues to pump his fingers in her cunt until her moans turn into overstimulated whimpers. Jesse withdraws his fingers and licks them clean before reaching for his belt buckle.

Ellie’s knees are a little shaky, but she manages to toe out of her shoes and kick off her panties and shorts without tripping.

Jesse undoes his belt and pulls out his cock. The closet is lit only by a single dim bulb and Ellie can’t get a good look at him, so she settles for wrapping her hand around his shaft and giving him a few strokes. He’s big, which comes as no surprise, thick and uncut. Jesse groans softly and leans down to capture Ellie’s lips in a hungry kiss.

Jesse slides his hands under Ellie’s thighs and she throws her arms around his neck as he lifts her up. Ellie wraps her legs around his waist and Jesse supports her with his prosthetic arm while he uses the other to line himself up. He pushes in slowly and Ellie’s head falls back with a drawn-out moan. Jesse presses kisses to her exposed throat as his flesh hand sides under her hoodie to rub soothing circles on her hip.

“That’s it, darl.”

“Oh fuck you’re big.”

 Ellie feels every inch of him as he opens her up and she can’t help the whine that leaves her. The stretch is just shy of too much and Ellie is thankful Jesse took the time to finger fuck her.

“Ya need me to stop?”

Ellie shakes her head. “No, I’m good. Keep going.”

Jesse continues to push in slowly until he bottoms out with a groan.  “Fuck darlin’,” he rasps against her throat, “you feel so good. So tight and hot, _fuck._ ”

Ellie’s hands fist the back of Jesse’s shirt. “Move, Jesse.”

Jesse braces his flesh hand against the wall and starts to thrust. He starts off slow but quickly builds to a faster pace at Ellie’s breathless urging.

Ellie bites her cheek, trying to keep her noises to a minimum. They are in a closet after all and anyone walking by could hear them. Jesse on the other hand doesn’t seem to care who hears them and openly huffs and groans against Ellie’s throat.

Ellie leans down suck a mark on Jesse’s neck and he rewards her with a particularly hard thrust that makes her cry out sharply.

“Now, that’s more like it.”

“Jesse, we’re in a _closet_.”

“No one comes down this way, sweetheart, ain’t no one gunna hear ya. C’mon, Songbird, sing for me.”

Jesse shifts, sliding his arms under Ellie’s legs and pressing her between him and the wall. The new angle lets Jesse get deep and hit that spot that has Ellie seeing stars. That, and the way he stretches her is enough to make her give up entirely on being quiet.

“That’s it, darlin’, let me hear ya.”

Whimpering, Ellie reaches down between them to work her clit. Her brows furrow and her head falls back against the wall with a moan.

“Oh fuck yes,” she breathes.

“You close, sweetheart?”

Ellie nods and Jesse increases his pace in response. Her mouth falls open into a little O and he fucks little noises out of her with each thrust. Ellie comes with a whine and a gasp of his name.

As she clenches down around him, Jesse curses and speeds up.

“M’close, sweetheart, what…?”

“Inside,” Ellie gasps, “Come inside me.”

Jesse lasts for only a few more thrusts before his hips still and he comes with a low groan. Ellie whimpers at the warmth that fills her. Jesse’s grip on her with the prosthetic his hard enough to bruise. Dimly, Ellie hopes it does. Jesse leans in to capture her lips in a tender kiss before pulling back to press his forehead to hers. They stay like that for several minutes, cooling down and trading sweet kisses as their breathing returns to normal.

Ellie is the first to speak.

“Holy shit.”

Jesse chuckles. “That good huh?”

“You didn’t disappoint, cowboy, that’s for sure.”

Ellie’s knees are wobbly when Jesse sets her down and he steadies her with a hand on the small of her back.

“Easy, sweetheart. Y'alright?” Jesse asks, pressing a kiss to her temple.

“I’m fine.” Ellie smiles up at him. “Better than fine, actually.”

Ellie shivers at the feeling of come dripping out of her and smearing across her thighs. Jesse retrieves a roll of paper towels from a shelf above them and they both get cleaned up. Ellie hunts down her panties and shorts while Jesse tucks himself away and straightens his shirt.

Ellie picks up Jesse’s hat off the self where he’d set it when she’d first dragged him into the closet. She rocks up onto the balls of her feet, replaces the on Jesse’s head and presses a kiss to his cheek. The hat is little lopsided, and Jesse grins and fixes it before pulling Ellie into a deep kiss.

They exit the closet together, trying to look nonchalant and not like they had just fucked each other’s brains out. While Jesse’s hat hid his mussed hair, and Ellie’s hair was back in a braid, there wasn’t much they could do about the marks on their necks. Ellie didn’t really mind, and something told her Jesse didn’t really care either.

Jesse wraps an arm around Ellie’s waist and pulls her close. “So, my place or yours?”

Ellie leans into him and wraps both her arms around him in return. “For what?”

Jesse grins. “Round two.”

Ellie thinks about it. “Your place is closer.”


	3. Bedroom Hymns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Re-Post.
> 
> **Original Note:**
> 
> Posted for day two of Overwatch’s OCxCanon week 2017. The prompt is Relationship: Theme A - Domestic.
> 
> Inspired by [Unkiss Me](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3692961) by [Bekon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beckon/works).

It’s nearly noon when Ellie wakes. Jesse is a warm, solid presence at her back, with an arm draped over her side and his face pressed to the back of her neck. Ellie shifts to slide out of bed and Jesse’s arm tightens, trapping her against his chest. Ellie wiggles around to face him and nuzzles up under his chin.

“Jesse…” Ellie murmurs against his throat. Jesse just grunts. “Let me up.” Ellie presses kisses along the underside of his jaw. “Jesse, come on, I have to pee. I’ll be right back, I promise.”

Jesse sighs and loosens his grip, allowing Ellie to slide out from under him. Her feet hit the floor and she shivers and bends down to pick up Jesse’s shirt. Ellie throws it around her shoulders and slides her arms into the sleeves. Behind her, Jesse rolls into her warm spot and buries his face in the pillow.

Ellie stops at bathroom and then pads out into the living room, stepping over the hounds on the way. On one side of the room is a sink and a few cabinets and a mini fridge. A brewer sits  counter next to the sink and Ellie rummages through the cabinets looking for her tea. She grumbles to herself and eventually has to turn on her second sight just to find the damn things – Jesse is so unorganized that things tended to move around between her visits.

Ellie finally locates the tea on the top shelf and retrieves it. She pops a cup in the brewer and then has to rummage through the cupboards again for a clean mug. Ellie finds one that is chipped and missing its handle. She places the mug under the brewer and starts the cycle.

Ellie shivers as she waits for the tea to brew, and buttons a few of the shirt’s buttons across her torso. Once it’s brewed she holds the cup between her hands close to her chest and makes her way back to the bedroom. She pauses in the doorway and peers into the room. Ryer has moved to the warm spot on her pillow and Jesse has rolled over onto his back and is now taking up the entire bed.

Ellie hides her smile in her tea as she takes a sip and pushes off the doorframe to pad silently across the room. Setting her mug on the bedside table, Ellie climbs into the bed and straddles Jesse. He groans softly and calloused fingers brush against Ellie’s thigh as Jesse pulls himself up onto a slow, languid stretch. His right hand slides up, under Ellie’s shirt to settle on her bare hip and the stump of his left arm rests negligently on the pillow next to his head.

“Well, ain’t this a sight to wake up to,” Jesse rumbles. His voice low and rough from sleep and it makes Ellie’s stomach flutter pleasantly. “Wouldn’t mind waking up to it more often.”

Ellie leans forward, bracing her hands on Jesse’s chest. “I think that can be arranged.”

Jesse is a much better bedmate then her hounds. As much as she loves them, they are hard and cold. Jesse, on the other hand, is soft and warm. Not to mention better looking.

Jesse’s hand slides from her hip down to ass and he scoots her closer. Ellie gets the hint and leans forward, bracing her elbows on either side of his head.

Jesse moves his left arm as if to brush the hair out of her face and then snorts. He’s forgotten he isn’t wearing his prosthetic. Ellie leans up and presses a kiss to the stump of his arm. His eyes go soft and Ellie leans in to kiss him. Jesse’s hand slides up her back, bunching the shirt up as it goes. His fingers trace shapes on the small of her back and Ellie deepens the kiss. A soft moan rumbles from his chest and his hand leaves her back to slide between them to work the buttons on the front of her shirt.

Ellie breaks the kiss to press kisses along his jaw, his beard tickles her nose as she follows the line of his jaw down to his neck. She presses soft kisses to the marks she had left the previous evening and Jesse tips his head to the side to give her better access as the last button of her shirt comes free.

Jesse pushes the shirt off of her shoulders and runs a warm, rough hand over her side. Ellie hums against his throat.

Jesse’s knuckles brush against Ellie’s jaw. She takes the hint and lifts her head to allow him to capture her lips again. Without warning, Jesse rolls her onto her side. Before she can start fussing, Jesse’s lips find the curve of Ellie’s throat and move down to her collarbone and shoulder. Ellie slides her leg over his hip and pulls him closer. She can feel him hard against her thigh and she rolls her hips lazily against him. Jesse smiles against her shoulder as his hand slides between her legs.

Ellie sighs and nuzzles up underneath his chin as he fingers her, her moans vibrating against the skin of his throat.

After a little while Jesse withdraws his fingers and Ellie shifts to snatch the lube from the bedside table. She slicks him up and gently guides him into her. They lay like that for a while, simply enjoying the congress.

After a while Jesse starts a slow rhythm and Ellie leans her forehead against his. They trade soft kisses and gentle smiles. Climax never comes, but neither of them mind. That isn’t the point. Sighs of pleasure turn into yawns and they drift off to sleep together.


	4. Scars

Ellie wakes to callused fingers tracing the scars across her bare back. Jesse’s fingers follow the back edge of the burn scar, and then skim over the long slash that runs from her left hip to her right shoulder. From there, they trace over the half dozen or so little gouges that run over her shoulder blades to the short, horizontal scar across her left shoulder blade, and finally settle lower down on the short, raised scar that runs parallel to her spine on the small of her back.

“From a piece of shrapnel,” Ellie murmurs against the pillow and Jesse starts slightly. “We were ambushed and didn’t realize that the constructs were magicked to explode when destroyed. I ended up with a foot-long piece of shrapnel in my back.”

Other than the bullet scar on her chest and the burn scars on her side, Ellie rarely talks about her scars. If asked she is usually vague or even evasive. It’s not out of shame, Ellie never tries to hide her scars and she often trains in a sports bra and shorts. With her healing factor and her own innate resistance, it’s rare for an injury to stick around for more than a day or two, let alone scar. It takes extraordinary circumstances and a hell of a lot of trauma for an injury to scar, and Ellie is not particularly fond of reliving those sorts of memories. ~~~~

“What about this one?” Jesse brushes his fingers over the scar on her left shoulder blade.

“I was sparring with Death. I zigged when I should have zagged and got nicked.”

Jesse snorts. “Some nick.” The scar is almost as long as his hand.

“Have you _seen_ Harvester’s blade? It’s bigger than I am.”

“That ain’t sayin’ much.”

Ellie lets out an indignant squawk and elbows Jesse in the ribs.

“Easy sugar, I’m just teasin’ ya!” he laughs. Ellie sticks her tongue out at him and Jesse rubs small circles on the small of her back until she settles back down next to him.

“What about this one?” He thumbs one of the small scars across her shoulder blades. Ellie swallows, feeling cold all of a sudden even though she was lying next to what was possibly the warmest human being on earth.

“All those little ones across my shoulders?”

“Yeah.”

“I got them at the same time. They’re from glass.”

“Christ. Why was there was so much glass flyin’ round?”

Ellie opens her mouth to say, _I don’t remember_ , but it sticks in her throat. She _does_ remember. She wishes she didn’t.

Ellie must have made some kind of noise or perhaps Jesse had just picked up on her distress because he says, “Never mind. Sorry, sugar, I should’t’ve gone stirrin’ up old memories.”

“It’s all right, Jesse. You’re allowed to be curious.”

_The world is ending; the sky is falling. The glass overhead shatters and the rain pours in. The water is so cold. The storm is so loud. It hurts, everything hurts._

**_Stop._ ** _**Don’t chase the rabbit.**_

Ellie shakes her head to clear it.

“You all right, sweetheart?” Jesse is propped up on one elbow and staring at her, concerned.

“I’m fine,” Ellie assures him. She scoots closer and Jesse lays back, lifting his arm so that Ellie can duck under it and press herself against his side. She rests her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat as he wraps his arms around her. Ellie closes her eyes and lets Jesse’s warmth seep into her.

“You can tell me anythin’, ya know that right?”

“I do. Thank you.”

And maybe one day Ellie will. But not today. The sun is filtering in through the blinds, and she is laying naked in bed with her lover. It is too bright and good to bring up the shadows of her past.


	5. Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You can't kill what knows it's alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Re-Post.
> 
> **Original Note:**
> 
> I have finally finished something! This only took me two months. Inspired by [this](http://overwatchimagine.tumblr.com/post/147898444330/hanzo-a-small-sigh-escaped-angelas-lips-as-she) by [overwatchimagine](http://overwatchimagine.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr and [this](http://puckish-saint.tumblr.com/post/148741689063/can-i-get-genji-mccree-zenyatta-and-hanzo) by [puckish-saint](http://puckish-saint.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr.

It's three in the morning when Ellie finally makes it back to Watchpoint: Gibraltar. She’s exhausted, filthy, and hasn’t eaten in nearly three days. All Ellie wants is food, a shower and sleep.

But she needs to make a delivery first.

“Jack?” Ellie stands outside the door to his quarters, speaking into the comm next to the keypad.  

Jack is half asleep when he opens the door, but he comes fully awake the instant he sees her. He stares, momentarily speechless.

“Sorry I’m late.”

“Where the hell have you been, Wade? We sent out search parties… McCree’s been beside himself.”

“Sorry.”

“What happened?”

“I’m… not entirely sure. Things went tits up so fast. One moment everything was fine, the next we’re all separated and I’m getting mauled by Reaper.”

“What took you so long?”

Ellie doesn’t answer, instead she retrieves a memory stick from her thigh bag and holds it out to Jack. He takes it.

“What’s this?”

“The information you wanted.”

Jack stares at Ellie. “You’re telling me you infiltrated that base on your own?”

“What? Like it’s hard? I told you, I’ve been doing that sort of thing for centuries. I never would’ve been gone so long if it weren’t for Reaper. Son-of-a-bitch is too clever for his own good.”

Jack just shakes his head. He should know better by now.

“Will that be all?”

“Yes, go get some sleep. And Ellie?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m… glad you’re all right.”

Ellie gives him a tired smile in response and takes her leave.

* * *

Ellie’s first stop is the kitchen where she makes the best damn grilled cheese sandwich she’s ever eaten. After that she pulls off the bandages scrubs down her left arm and sets to removing the forty or so staples, the result of Reaper’s attempted mauling. Ellie is about half way done when there’s the squeak of the kitchen door’s hinges behind her as someone enters. She glances over her shoulder to see Genji frozen in the doorway.

“Hey,” she says casually, turning back to her arm.

“Ellie…?”

“Mmm, that’s me.”

Genji is by her side in the blink of an eye. “Where have you _been_? We thought you were… What happened?”

“Reaper happened. I guess he finally gave up on trying to shoot me and decided to try to just rip my throat out instead. My com broke in the struggle and I missed my ride, so I decided to finish the mission and – ”

“By yourself? Are you mad?”

Ellie grins. “No, probably not. But I got the information Jack needed so it all worked out.”

“Except that you were missing for three days and we all thought you were dead.”

Ellie shrugs. “Well, you can’t have everything.” She pulls the final staple from her arm and tosses it into the trash.

Genji places a hand on her arm. “I am relieved that you are all right.”

Ellie turns and throws her arms around his neck, and Genji returns the hug warmly.

"I’m sorry I worried you,” Ellie says as she pulls away.

“Do not apologize to me, apologize to Jesse.”

Ellie feels a sharp stab of guilt. She honestly hadn’t thought about what Jesse had to be thinking after she failed to make the extraction, she had been too focused on her mission.

“He was pretty upset, huh?”

“That is an understatement. I have never seen him like that before. He was absolutely beside himself.”

“That’s what Jack said. Do you know where he is?”

“I believe he has shut himself in his quarters.”

* * *

Ellie lets herself into Jesse’s quarters and finds him sprawled on the couch, snoring softly with the TV on quietly in the background. She watches him for several moments, debating whether to wake him.  After some deliberation, Ellie silently heads for the bathroom to shower. It’s been three days and she’s _gross_.

The fan in the bathroom rattles something awful, so Ellie doesn’t bother turning on the light for fear the noise will wake Jesse. She showers in the dark with the help of her second sight and as Ellie wipes down the shower and performs her usual after-shower routine it feels almost unreal. It’s only been four days, but it feels like it’s been a month since she left.

It feels heavenly to put on pajamas after wearing her armor for days on end. Ellie pads barefoot back into the living area and sits down beside Jesse on the edge of the couch.

“Jesse,” Ellie murmurs, leaning over to brush the hair out of his face, “Jesse, baby, wake up.”

Jesse starts awake with a snort and squints up at her blearily. It takes him a moment to focus and when he does his eyes widen. He sits up, staring at her like he can’t quite believe his eyes.

Ellie gives him a tired smile. “It’s me.”

“Ellie…?” Jesse’s at a complete loss for words. He pulls Ellie into his lap, crushes her to his chest and buries his face in her hair. “Oh darlin’.” Ellie can feel Jesse shaking slightly and she realizes that he’s crying.

“Void, baby, I’m sorry. So, so sorry,” Ellie murmurs. She slides her arms around his neck and presses her face into the crook of his neck. “Shh, it’s okay. I’m here, I’m safe. It’s all right.”

“You okay?” Jesse mutters against her hair.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Tired, but fine. I’m so sorry, Jesse. Reaper attacked and I let him kite me and –”

Jesse cuts Ellie off by kissing her. “It’s all right, sweetheart. You’re safe, that’s all that matters.”

Ellie closes her eyes, presses her face into Jesse’s neck and lets herself be engulfed by his warmth. She starts to drift off almost immediately, as sleep deprived as she is. Dimly, Ellie feels Jesse shift beneath her as he gathers her to him.

“All right, sweetpea, let’s get to bed.”

Ellie only manages a grunt in response. Jesse chuckles and lifts her, cradling her against his chest. Ellie instinctively curls into herself and rests her head on his shoulder.

Jesse carries her into the bedroom and gently lays her on the unmade bed. Ellie burrows into the covers and shifts to press back against Jesse when he lays down behind her. Jesse throws an arm over her and pulls her close. He presses a kiss to the back of her neck.

“I’m so glad you’re all right, darlin’,” Jesse murmurs.

Ellie hums in response and laces her fingers though his.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, baby.”

Ellie drifts off to sleep in Jesse’s arms, warm, protected, safe.


End file.
